In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and in the midst of protests around the country, we’re again left wondering what we should say to our children about racism in America. What is too much? What is not enough? What if they’re too young and we scare them? What if we’re scared, too?

“Children are never too young to be exposed to diversity,” says Dr. Aisha White, Director of the P.R.I.D.E Program within the Office of Child Development at University of Pittsburgh. “The research continues to show that children recognize skin color differences at a very young age. As young as 3 months old, they may look differently at people who look like or don’t look like their primary caregivers.”

A few years ago, I conducted training for the Maine Summer Camps on cross-cultural agility. I flew into Portland a day before the training was to begin. That evening, I joined a few members of their Educational Committee for dinner — the group who had invited me and set up the training. As we waited for our meal, we talked about camp and the conundrum many camps are in — as we all work toward becoming more diverse and inclusive.

During the conversation, Meg Kassen, who, along with her husband Peter, owns Hidden Valley Camp in Freedom, Maine, pulled out her smartphone and said, “Let’s just look up the definition and root of the word ‘camp.’”

Interestingly, we found that the word has devolved from its origin over time. For instance, currently, people are familiar with concentration, internment, and refugee camps — so the word is not one that automatically evokes good feelings from many ethnic and cultural groups. For some, the word even evokes fear. The word was also used in the past as a derogatory term when referring to LGBTQ+ individuals.

We think mother’s tell it best, that’s why we asked Natasha Williamson to answer questions we often hear from other parents. Here’ what she has to say…

West End House Girls Camp has a certain vibe going on, that makes you wanna be a kid and join right in. You know there’s a feeling of belonging there, and it’s a place where a girl can find pride in just being herself, all the while having the time of her life.